KINGS VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME PREVIEW

The Nashville Predators (herein to be referred to as the Graceland Sunday Dresses), got off to a hot start this season, playing their first 8 games without a loss in regulation. Well after winning their first three games in regulation, losing the next three in overtime, then winning two more in regulation, the Sunday Dresses are on a three game pointless streak.

Tonight, the Kings intend to stretch that record for the Sunday Dresses to four while extending their own streak to 6 consecutive wins at home, where they are so far unbeaten on Staples Center ice.

However, the building won’t be quite as loud as normal. I will not be attending this game.

Calm down. Collect yourselves. Everything will be OK.

Though I am pissed. Not just to miss a game, but to miss Ryan Smyth’s 1000th.

Smyth, who has been on fire since joining Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams on the pseudo-1st line, will be playing just his 80th in a Kings’ sweater. Incredible to believe that the hard but crooked-nosed man who still has no fear diving head first into any number of opposing defenseman with the puck, came to us with 920 games of the same under his belt.

A metaphorical premonition of things to come also took place at practice yesterday when Shane O’Brien took a puck to the sack.

Does it hurt? Looks like it hurts.

You are not a bad person for laughing at this

Think that hurt you pile of former Canuck excrement? Wait until you get a load of this year’s Kings. Wait until you see a lineup that features BOTH Kyle Clifford and Kevin Westgarth (Trevor Lewis gets to watch this one in a suit and tie).

This brings us to another point of discussion. This will either be Kyle Clifford’s last game as a King this year, or his next will be the first of the rest of his career. Tonight is his 9th NHL game. He can play no more without burning a year off his contract. While he could still technically be sent down to juniors after his 10th game, a team would have to be pretty silly wasting a year of a professional contract on a player not playing professional hockey.

Or, Terry Murray is all too fully aware of the cheep goonery employed by Sunday Dress players like O’Brien. Either way, this game is set up for a world of hurt.

Which brings us to the keys to tonight’s game:

Establish the physical game early. This game WILL get physical and nasty and the Kings will be better off to set that tone rather than respond to it.

Two passes and out. As opposed to some of the other speedy rush teams the Kings’ have faced lately, the Predators know to cycle and grind. It is Coach Barry Trotz’s bread and butter. The Kings must be diligent in their puck support in their own zone and once the puck hits a King’s stick, it must be moved quickly beyond the blueline. Failed clearing attempts are a bigger no-no than usual against the Sunday Dresses.

Use that skill. The Sunday Dresses are and always have been a team that relies on good defense and wearing down their opponents. They do not possess much highlight level raw skill. In this department, the Kings have them trumped. Kopitar, Parse and Williams should shine.

Choose your shots wisely. Pekka Rinne is a goalie who thrives on a large workload. He is not some rookie that will crumble the more shots you throw at him. Rinne’s focus will only sharpen if he sees too many ‘gimme’ shots. Yes, throwing the puck to the front of the net is never a bad idea, but in Rinne’s case one smart shot is worth three shots for the sake of shooting.

Speaking of goaltending, Jonathan Bernier, who gets the start in net tonight, needs to play better than he did in his last game. Last year Bernier came up and shut out the Sunday Dresses in a season where the Kings couldn’t buy a win in Graceland. Keep that composure Bernier.

Rinne is one of the best goalies playing the game at the moment, the Kings will have to take smart shots on him, through traffic. The Preds are pretty dinged up at the moment, so we have to take advantage of them while we can. They have been a very tough team for us in the past.

Thanks for the great game previews. Just learned of your site last month, and gotta say you do the best and most comical previews out there. Love the writing style!

As for the Kings, this could be one of the toughest games so far this season. The Preds will throw everything they have at the Kings in hopes of ending their losing streak. Not to mention they watched Thursdays game from Staples, so they have had plenty of time to dissect our current roster. We are undefeated at home, and I’m sure the Preds would love to break that streak as well.

Here’s hoping we manage to find a way to win (again) and Smyth lights the lamp for the game winner.